HOUSE POTGIETER

INTERNATIONAL WORLD INTERIOR NEWS: LONG LIST FINALIST IN RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY “INTERIOR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2013”

"The project involved the complete interior renovation of an existing house situated on Muckleneuck Hill, overlooking the city centre of Pretoria, the Capital of the Republic of South Africa. With the modern art loving owners in mind, the design was based on opening up the existing rooms of the house and purifying it into an airy, functional art gallery-like living space.

Several internal walls were removed emphasizing the raw beauty of the original structural features of the house. Honest, simple cement screed floors and pale plastered walls were used to form a neutral backdrop for functional art installations.

The entrance hall is dominated by a grand piano with a colourful light shade canopy above it. This sets the playfull tone of the colour red that acts as a contrasting focal colour element used through out the house.

The stainless steel cooking island was designed as a dramatic minimalist sculpture. With a Perspex support on one side it appears to be floating. Despite the obvious aesthetic considerations it is designed for functionality and interactive cooking, and forms the centre point of the living area. A sliding screen door hides the service area of the kitchen.

In the staircase shaft, the heavy ornamental balustrades were replaced by a delicate cable screen that connects the three levels of the house. Raw steel tread plates were used as practical finish to the existing stairs. Functional fluorescent tubes placed in steel angles were used as stark graphic lighting element to uplift the dark space.

In the master bedroom the dressing room was placed inside a white glass box, which shows a hint of the colourful couture inside."